


Dog chow

by NYWCgirl



Series: Soft Kitty verse [1]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Soft kitty verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 11:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal changes in a kitten overnight and is found by Peter. What adventures lay ahead?<br/>This is the first story in the Soft Kitty verse. Orginally posted on September 5th 2014.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dog chow

**Author's Note:**

> This picture inspired me for this fic (see my LJ: http://nywcgirl.livejournal.com/3048.html). And I have no clue about NY telephone numbers, I added the 555 because they always use it in the movies…  
> This story fills my `first transformation´ square on my h/c bingo card.

Peter was waiting in his car outside of June´s mansion. How was it possible that Neal was again too late? He got out of the car and walked up the stairs and was let in by June´s day maid. He bounced up the stairs to the loft and knocked the door impatiently. Why did he put up with this?

When nobody answered, he tried the doorknob and found it unlocked, unholstering his gun, he carefully opened the door and walked in. There was no other noise, so he carefully looked around.

"Neal?" he asked.

"Neal, are you in here?"

The only reaction he got was a very weak meow. He looked towards the bed, where he heard the sound and saw a small kitten. It was sort of beige with the bluest eyes. Had Neal finally found a kitten that matched his own eyes? He hadn´t mention getting a pet to Peter. But who was he to judge Neal for getting settled. Maybe it was a good sign that he got a pet.

"Hey, little fellow, where is your owner?" he asked the kitten.

"Meow" The kitten walked tentatively over to Peter and stood on his hind legs to be picked up.

"Oh, aren´t you a soft ball of fur?"

When Peter couldn´t locate Neal, he checked if the kitten had food and water, but he couldn´t find any, no litter box, no food, no water. What kind of a pet owner was Neal? This was not like Neal, normally he was very diligent in these things. Neal wouldn´t let an animal behind like this, so he took the kitten and walked downstairs and met June in the living room.

"Oh Peter, you brought Neal a kitten? Neal will love it."

"No, I didn´t bring it, I found it upstairs in Neal´s loft, but there is no food or water laid out. Can I leave it here with you?" Peter wanted to get rid of the kitten as fast as he could and find his CI.

"I am sorry Peter, but Bugsy doesn´t do will with cats. The poor thing will be chased through the house."

"OK, I will drop it off at home, Satchmo is cool with cats." Peter sighed.

Peter put the kitten on the back seat in his car and drove back to Brooklyn. He couldn´t park in front of his house, so he took the first available spot in the next block, took the kitten and walked back to his house.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dog ran up to him and knocked the kitten out of his arms. Before Peter could react, the dog had the kitten in his muzzle. Peter didn´t hesitated and grab the dog´s jaws and pried it open so the dog had to release the kitten.

It fell lifeless on the sidewalk. The dog whimpered and ran away. Peter carefully picked it up and saw that it was still breathing, although labored. He ran back to the car and started dialing their family vet, luckily they picked up immediately. Peter explained the situation and he was told to come directly and they would have a look at the kitten.

Once he arrived at the vet clinic, he carefully picked up the kitten and almost ran inside. At the reception, the nurse on duty immediately ushered him into a treatment area and started assessing the poor fellow.

"The doctor will also have a look, but from a first quick assessment, I think, he cracked some ribs and his front leg. There are also some lacerations that need to be sewn. Please go to the desk and fill in some admittance forms and I will be right with you to take care of your hands."

It was only when the nurse mentioned it, that Peter saw that he also had nicks in his hands where he had grabbed the dog´s muzzle.

Peter hesitated, but the nurse shooed him away and he walked over to the desk, like she said, there were some admittance forms.

NAME OWNER: what would he write down, Neal´s name or his own. _Peter Burke_

ADDRESS: _4232 DeKalb Av., Brooklyn, NY_

TEL: _555.34-2435_

EMAIL: _peter.burke@aol.com_

NAME PATIENT: he didn´t even know the name of the kitten, but his gut feeling made him put down: _Neal_

WHAT HAPPENED IN CASE OF TRAUMA: _Kitten was attacked by dog._

Peter continued with the form and by the time he was finished, the nurse came out and explained to Peter, that the vet had taken…, and she checked the form, Neal, into surgery. She would call Peter when they had news.

Peter reluctantly left the vet´s and drove to the office. But once he was behind his desk, he couldn´t focus on work, the kitten occupying his mind. He didn´t even noticed that Neal still hadn´t arrived at the office, until Diana asked Peter where Neal was. Peter pulled up the tracking data of the anklet and it showed Neal at home. How was that possible? He had been in Neal´s apartment and he even had called out to Neal.

He got in his car and drove back to June´s.

When he entered the apartment, he looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. When he sat down on Neal´s bed, he felt something hard under the covers, and when he checked, it turned out to be the anklet. There were also sleeping pants, with underwear in them, under the covers. The anklet was still closed, so how the hell had Neal gotten it off his ankle. Did Neal run? And why were his sleeping garments still under the covers?

He dialed Mozzie, who picked up on the second ring.

"Suit?"

"Do you know where Neal is?"

"Did you misplaced him again, suit?" Mozzie asked accusingly.

"No, but his anklet was still in his bed and he is not here. Oh yeah, I took his kitten with me, as there was no water or food left out."

"Kitten? Neal doesn´t have a kitten."

"Well, there is a kitten at the vets and they are operating on him and I found it at Neal´s." Peter was losing his patience. Before he could say anything else, he heard the sound of another incoming call.

"I have to take this call, it is probably the vet." Peter disconnected the call and answered the new incoming one.

"Burke"

"Hi Peter, it is doctor Stacey, I have Neal here with me and I guess you want him back as soon as possible, as he is such a cutie. When did you decide to get a kitten?"

"I can pick him up?"

"Yes, I had to operate but he is momentarily rousing from the anesthesia, so when he is awake, you can take him if you want. I will explain everything once you get here." the doctor disconnected the call and Peter was left staring at his phone. How had his perfectly normal workday, turned in this mess?

He drove back to the vet´s office and was lead to the back where the cages were located. A groggy looking kitten was huddled in the back in a towel. He was shivering and looked just plain miserable. Peter felt immediately for the little fellow.

"You can take him home, but I have to warn you, you will have to be careful that he doesn´t move too much and certainly no jumping. I have placed his chest and front paw in a cast, so he will be limited in his movements, but still. The cast cannot get wet and so can´t the stitches. Normally I would fit him with an anti-scratch collar, but as he is already in the cast, I don´t want to make him more uncomfortable. Just wrap him in a towel and make sure that he can get some rest."

"Do you have a transport cage that I can borrow, because that is how he got hurt in the first place, as I was carrying him in my arms."

"Yes, sure, I will ask Ann to get you one. I want to see you guys back in 2 weeks, or if there is a problem."

"Thanks Stacey."

Ann placed Neal rapped in his towel, in the crate and Peter left the clinic and drove home.

This time, he could park in front of the house and he gently carried Neal inside. The little kitten was weakly crying in the crate and Peter felt his heart break.

Once he opened the door, Satchmo, jumped up at him.

"Down boy, down." Peter tried to maneuver around the dog to the living room.

Satchmo started walking circles around Peter, happy that his owner was home. Peter placed the crate on the dining room table and carefully took the towel with Neal in it out of the crate. Satchmo was looking curiously at him.

Peter sat down on the couch with Neal in his lap and gently petted the kitten.

"Satchmo, come over here boy."

Satchmo came trotting over and started sniffing the little shivering bundle. It smelled funny and Satchmo woofed again, Neal startled because of the noise and let out a heartbreaking cry.

"Be gentle Satchmo, Neal here has some broken bones and needs his rest." Peter placed the towel on the couch and walked to the kitchen so he could let Satchmo out and feed him. He only then realized that he didn´t have kitten kibble. And he remembered something about not giving dog food to cats or was it the other way around, he couldn´t remember.

He picked up the phone and called El to ask her if she could bring over some litter box filling and some kitten kibble.

When he walked back into the living room, his heart jumped. Neal was wavering on his paws at the edge of the couch. It looked like he was trying to decide if he could make the jump. Peter quickly ran over and could prevent the kitten from making the leap. OK, not so smart, if the kitten looked anything like the real Neal, he should have anticipated that action.

He put Neal back in the crate and went to the basement to look for an old dog bed. He found one and took it back upstairs, settling it by the heating. He then took Neal out of the crate and settled him on the dog bed. Neal looked appalled, if a kitten can look that way. It was clearly beneath his standards. Only Neal´s kitten, he probably expected a fur lined cat castle.

The door bell rang and Peter went over to open the door, and since Satchmo didn´t react, it had to be a familiar person.

"Mozzie, how can I help you?"

"Can I see the kitten? I tried contacting Neal, but he doesn´t respond. All of his clothing is still at home, even his cell phone, so I am getting worried. Were you working a case?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary."

The minute Mozzie saw the kitten, it started meowing.

"Oh, hi Neal." Mozzie said.

"How did you know I named him Neal?" Peter asked surprised.

"Suit, this is Neal, can´t you see it?"

"No, I can´t, I see a kitten with blue eyes." Peter stated dryly.

The kitten tried to limp over, but Mozzie picked it up and sneezed. "I am sorry Neal, but you know I am allergic to cats, so you are in good hands with the suit." Mozzie place Neal back on the dog bed and quickly left the house.

Peter just shook his head, if Mozzie got any more crazy, he would be certifiable.

By the time El came home, she found Satchmo curled up on the dog bed and Neal curled up in his fur. Peter explained that Neal had been shivering and once Satchmo laid down, he just crawled up and settled in the warm fur.

"Where is my camera? " El asked.

"Don´t bother, I already took some." Peter admitted.

Peter laid out some kibble for Neal and told Satchmo to leave it alone, that it was for Neal. El also had bought some special kitten milk, so they also left a saucer with the milk.

When El went to check up on Neal before going to bed, she found Satchmo and Neal curled up together, Neal was sleeping but Satchmo looked up at her. He would take care of his little companion.

WCWCWCWCWCWCW

During the night, Peter woke up because of Satchmo yelping. He went down to check it out and found Neal (real Neal) lying on the floor half on top of Satchmo. Neal was looking confused as to where he was and grimaced when he tried to move. The little cast was lying on the floor next to him and Peter could see, the bruising on his ribs and arm.

"Neal…?"

"What am I doing here?" Neal asked confused.

"What do you remember?"

"Going to bed. My own bed."

"Well, let me first take you to hospital to get that broken arm and cracked ribs taken care of and then I will explain." Peter offered.

"Yeah, that sound like a good plan. What happened? I woke on top of Satchmo, is he OK?"

"Did this ever happened to you before?"

Happened what?"

"Neal, when El and I went to bed, there was a kitten sleeping on top of Satchmo…, here, I will show you a pic."

"Wow, is that me? I look cute." Neal gave a big smile.

"This has never happened to you before?" Peter questioned.

"No, I swear, but it has potential…"


End file.
